I have a confession to make. The first time I ever ate a Madeleine was at Disney World and then the next time I had one was at Starbucks. You know the kind that you pick up on a whim at the cash register? The ones from the Boulangerie Pâtisserie in Epcot were also sitting by the cash. I guess they’re an impulse purchase. I’m not sure how authentic those madeleines were but I liked the ones I had so much that I ran out and bought a Madeleine pan but this was a few years ago. I’m a little embarrassed to say that the pan sat unused until last weekend.

For those of you who don’t know, Madeleines are about the size of a cookie with the texture of a cake. Like cookies, they come in all kinds of flavors but I chose to do mine with orange zest because it seems like a lot of Madeleines are lemon flavored. So how do they taste? They’re buttery and soft with a hint of orange and the perfect amount of sweetness to them! Exactly what you want when you have a sweet craving in the afternoon. It goes great with your afternoon tea or coffee. Enjoy!

One last question for those of you in the know… What’s the big deal with the hump on the back of madeleines? Does the hump make them more authentic? Just curious.

Orange Honey Madeleines
(Yield – 12 Madeleines)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Directions:

• Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
• Add the sugar and eggs into a mixing bowl. Using the paddle attachment, beat until the eggs and sugar forms a thick and pale yellow mixture. This will take about 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
• Add in the honey, vanilla and orange zest and mix until combined.
• Next, gently fold in the flour mixture and then fold in the melted and cooled butter. Be careful not to overmix.
• Cover the batter with plastic wrap ensuring that that plastic wrap touches the batter directly. This will prevent a “skin” from forming on the surface. Chill the batter for at least 3 hours.
• Pre-heat the oven to 400F.
• Brush the madeleine molds with butter and place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Add a scant tablespoon of batter to each of the molds.
• Bake for about 10-13 minutes, until madeleines are a golden brown color. A toothpick inserted into the center of a madeleine comes out clean.
• Once the madeleines are done, remove them from the oven, invert the tray onto a cooling rack and remove them from their molds. Serve warm.

(Source: Bon Appetit Magazine)